Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 1975 · 25 citations · 20 references
E. ColiMolecular BiologyEscherichia ColiGene TranscriptionProtein SynthesisBiosynthesisRna PolymeraseRna ProcessingDirected EvolutionDna ReplicationE. Coli CellsMolecular MicrobiologyGene ExpressionProtein BiosynthesisNatural SciencesEnzyme CatalysisNucleic Acid BiochemistrySynthetic BiologyRna Polymerase SynthesisMicrobiologyMedicine
We report the isolation of a mutant of E. coli in which the capacity to synthesize RNA polymerase (EC 2.7.7.6) (the beta and beta' subunits) is rapidly lost at 43 degrees. The mutation has no effect on the stability or activity of the polymerase itself. The mutation is recessive and is closely linked to the rif locus (the structural gene for the beta subunit). Using strains carrying the mutation, we have shown that polymerase is present in excess in rapidly growing E. coli cells.
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